My 'SIM' I Woes - Part I
Just last month there was a trust vote that the government won with a convincing margin. The main heroes of the win were the two charismatic & highly controversial leaders of the Samajwadi Party, Mulayam Singh & Amar Singh.
As discussion boards on TV went into frenzy after this win about the positions left for one another to accommodate each other’s interests & votes, came the news that the government doesn’t wish to file for the extention of the ban on the SIMI for anti-national activities. Before this could be confirmed or rejected by the government, the Apex court stepped in & extended the ban on this terror organization for another time. There was a lot of hue & cry on this by the SP. They said that muslims were not terrorists( I am sure all muslims are not terrorist, but some definitely are, and that is what should worry us ) & SIMI was not an anti-national organization. It gave this country of more than a billion another glimpse into the dirty caste & vote bank politics. Even the minorities themselves feel happy to be sympathized on being a part of this below the belt politics of the government of the day. Their leaders cry foul in public & media glare & behind their backs run to these governments for their share of the booty. What amazes me is the blind eye we, the common man or ‘garib aadmi’ turns towards such instances.
Now coming back to my case. We had purchased an Airtel postpaid SIM card in 2003 for another mobile we wished to keep, for my brother. Just this March he shifted base to another state & we wished to cancel the SIM in question. I went to the Airtel authorized outlet & submitted the application in proper format for cancellation of the connection. After clearing my dues, they accepted my application for the same & assured me that my number will be deactivated within 7-10 working days. The only hurdle was a verification call that would come. The call came, but more than a verification call, it sounded to me like a retention call, to retain the customer.
Here are the excerpts from the call:
Airtel Executive: “ Good morning sir, is that Mr. ???????”
A.B: “ Yes this is him.”
Airtel Executive: “Sir you have given the no. 98_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ for cancellation, can I know why you want to cancel the card?”
A.B: “Because we don’t require the card.”
Airtel Executive: “Sir I see here that you have been our old customer, so we would like to offer you with a few schemes.”
A.B: “I am not interested as we don’t need another number, please cancel this card immediately.”
Airtel Executive: “Sir as you are an old customer, we will like you to keep this number for one month so that your old friends can stay in touch with you.”
A.B: “That has already been catered to, they have the new number.”
Airtel Executive: “But sir you are an old customer………..
A.B: “ I am an old customer, that’s why I don’t want to block your number, and want you to earn soon on this number, by canceling it from my name & issuing it to someone else, who may make use of your excellent services.”
Airtel Executive: “But sir, we wish to make your feel privileged.”
A.B: “But I don’t want to keep this number, so please cancel it immediately.”
Airtel Executive: “But sir the procedure is that we have to wait for 1 month for canceling the phone number.”
A.B: “As you wish sir, but I don’t need & won’t use this number from now on & please don’t bother to call me again.”
Airtel Executive: “Thank you sir & have a nice day.”
A.B: “I surely shall, if you cancel the number.”
I received such calls on 2 other occasions. All they did were call me to retain me as a privileged customer (I think everyone of us should be a privileged customer, so why single customers who plan to deactivate services or maybe it’s like what some of us say while asking someone’s name…… “What is your good name?” …as if they have a bad name too…..)
Now it has been almost two good months, but my phone has not been cancelled. To add salt to the injury, they have been sending me bills also, one bill even contains a call i supposedly made to another number. Now they can’t cancel my number till I make the payment. I fail to understand why harass a ‘privileged’ customer. Just few weeks back I was one, now maybe I am a defaulter, a rouge or a cheat……….
My Conclusion: It is easier for a terrorist to obtain a SIM card to carry out ghastly acts of terror, using cell phones & other communication networks, than a citizen( who abides by the laws of the land, even if they are old, useless & irrelevant ) to get his SIM deactivated…..
JAI HIND!!!!!!
As discussion boards on TV went into frenzy after this win about the positions left for one another to accommodate each other’s interests & votes, came the news that the government doesn’t wish to file for the extention of the ban on the SIMI for anti-national activities. Before this could be confirmed or rejected by the government, the Apex court stepped in & extended the ban on this terror organization for another time. There was a lot of hue & cry on this by the SP. They said that muslims were not terrorists( I am sure all muslims are not terrorist, but some definitely are, and that is what should worry us ) & SIMI was not an anti-national organization. It gave this country of more than a billion another glimpse into the dirty caste & vote bank politics. Even the minorities themselves feel happy to be sympathized on being a part of this below the belt politics of the government of the day. Their leaders cry foul in public & media glare & behind their backs run to these governments for their share of the booty. What amazes me is the blind eye we, the common man or ‘garib aadmi’ turns towards such instances.
Now coming back to my case. We had purchased an Airtel postpaid SIM card in 2003 for another mobile we wished to keep, for my brother. Just this March he shifted base to another state & we wished to cancel the SIM in question. I went to the Airtel authorized outlet & submitted the application in proper format for cancellation of the connection. After clearing my dues, they accepted my application for the same & assured me that my number will be deactivated within 7-10 working days. The only hurdle was a verification call that would come. The call came, but more than a verification call, it sounded to me like a retention call, to retain the customer.
Here are the excerpts from the call:
Airtel Executive: “ Good morning sir, is that Mr. ???????”
A.B: “ Yes this is him.”
Airtel Executive: “Sir you have given the no. 98_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ for cancellation, can I know why you want to cancel the card?”
A.B: “Because we don’t require the card.”
Airtel Executive: “Sir I see here that you have been our old customer, so we would like to offer you with a few schemes.”
A.B: “I am not interested as we don’t need another number, please cancel this card immediately.”
Airtel Executive: “Sir as you are an old customer, we will like you to keep this number for one month so that your old friends can stay in touch with you.”
A.B: “That has already been catered to, they have the new number.”
Airtel Executive: “But sir you are an old customer………..
A.B: “ I am an old customer, that’s why I don’t want to block your number, and want you to earn soon on this number, by canceling it from my name & issuing it to someone else, who may make use of your excellent services.”
Airtel Executive: “But sir, we wish to make your feel privileged.”
A.B: “But I don’t want to keep this number, so please cancel it immediately.”
Airtel Executive: “But sir the procedure is that we have to wait for 1 month for canceling the phone number.”
A.B: “As you wish sir, but I don’t need & won’t use this number from now on & please don’t bother to call me again.”
Airtel Executive: “Thank you sir & have a nice day.”
A.B: “I surely shall, if you cancel the number.”
I received such calls on 2 other occasions. All they did were call me to retain me as a privileged customer (I think everyone of us should be a privileged customer, so why single customers who plan to deactivate services or maybe it’s like what some of us say while asking someone’s name…… “What is your good name?” …as if they have a bad name too…..)
Now it has been almost two good months, but my phone has not been cancelled. To add salt to the injury, they have been sending me bills also, one bill even contains a call i supposedly made to another number. Now they can’t cancel my number till I make the payment. I fail to understand why harass a ‘privileged’ customer. Just few weeks back I was one, now maybe I am a defaulter, a rouge or a cheat……….
My Conclusion: It is easier for a terrorist to obtain a SIM card to carry out ghastly acts of terror, using cell phones & other communication networks, than a citizen( who abides by the laws of the land, even if they are old, useless & irrelevant ) to get his SIM deactivated…..
JAI HIND!!!!!!
posted by Ace | 2:15 pm
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